Pneumatic sheet-separator.



- PATENTED 'AUG.72 3, 1904.

- 0. A. JUENGST.

PNEUMATIC SHEET SBPARATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1902.

K0 MODEL.

\ crating the same.

UNITED STATES Patented August 23, 1904.

CHARLES A. JUENGST, CROTON FALLS, NEW YORK.

PNEUMATIC SHEET-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFIGA'IIQN' forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,462, dated August 23, 1904.

Original application filed July 18, 1900, Serial No. 24,017; I No. 90,266.

To (LZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARL S A. J UENesT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Croton Falls, in the county of VVestchesterand State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Pneumatic Sheet-Sep-' arating Devices, of Which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pneumatic devices employed in connection With the separation of signatures or sheets; and the object of the same is to control and isolate the, pneumatic device of each sucker or pair of suckers and to obviate the use of valves in the pneumatic devices. Y

My invention consists in a series of independent pneumatic devices each of Which is associated With a separate sucker device for acting on the signatures or sheets of a single superimposed pile. Each pneumatic device includes a supported cylinder and supported plunger, forming an exhaust-pump, and these devices are preferably arranged aboutacommon axis or center, and from each cylinder there extends a flexible connection to a single sucker device. The supported plungers are connected to a common head and means are provided for moving the same, the plungers at every stroke coming out of the open ends of the cylinders to break the suction and permit the air to enter the cylinders and so release the hold of the sucker devices upon the signatures or sheets.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a machine embodying my im- Flg. 2 is a side elevation rep-,

provements. resenting a sucker device and means for op- Fig. 3 is a cross-section at the dotted line as of Fig. 1 through the series of independent pneumatic devices. Fig. 4 is an end View of the head carrying the plungers, and Fig. 5 is a cross-section of a sucker device and its support.

This application is a division of an application for a signature-gathering machine filed July 18, 1900, Serial No. 24,017.

A, A, and 13 represent parts of the frame of a suitable'machine forming a support for the devices hereinafter described, the part A being the lower'part, the part B being an up- Divided and this application filed January 18,1902. Serial (No model.) I

per bracketed part, and the part A an interotally connected to a cross-head 3 of a sliding shaft 1, the said shaft, disk, connecting-rod, and head serving to reciprocate-this sliding shaft I. Upon this shaft I is mounted a sleeve 8 and head 9, the head 9 at equal spaced-apart intervals beingperforated for the piston-rods 11, Which at one end are suitably connected by nuts 10 toand are supported by the said head'9. On the free ends of the several piston-rods 11 are piston-heads 12.

A bracket 14 is secured to the frame A, and a second bracket 2 is also secured to the frame A, and the centers of the brackets 2 and 14 are in line With one another and also in line with the shaft I, so that the shaft I distant from the cross-head 3 passes" through apertures in the brackets 14 and 2,'being thereby supportedand guided. The bracket 14 is perforated at equal spaced-apart intervals centrally agreeing in location With those made in the head 9, and through these apertures in the bracket 14 pass cylinders 7, the same being suitably secured at one end to the bracket 14 and having their other free and open ends 15, according to the position of the parts, Fig. 1, ad

jacent to the piston-heads 12 in their extreme position, also as shown in Fig. 1.

The ends of the cylinders 7 adjacent to the bracket 14 are provided with hollow plugs 16, eachof which carries a nipple 17, and to each nipple is connected 2. flexible tube 18. As shown in Fig. 1, I provide a three-Way coupling 19 at the free end of each flexible tube 18, and from tWo arms of the three-Way coupling 19 extend flexible tubes 20 to each pair of suckers. To a shaft C extending longitudinally of the frame A there is connected a cam-32, and an arm 29 is pivotally connected to the frame A by one or more pivot devices 30. To one or more arms 29 there is connected a rod 31, upon Which are advantageously placed rollers bearing upon the sur- One or more brackets are employed, connected to the lower portion of the frame B, projecting therefrom, and to these brackets are pivotally connected links 24, carrying sleeves 23 andframes 21, which links and sleeves carrya shaft 28. On this shaft are hubs 26 and lever devices 27, the said lever the cup 36, the stem of which passes through the cup 36 and screws into the upper part of the support 40, the screw portion 37 having a central aperture, the upper portion of the screw portion 37 being appreciably below the edge of the cup 36.

A curved or convex plate 34, secured to the frame B, forms a support for the superimposed signatures or sheets 33, and the suckers come up against the under surface of the sheets or signatures upon said plate. The suckers are operated by the revolution of the cam 32, swinging the rod 31, raising or lowering the lever 37, and so swinging the shaft 28, the links 24, and frames 21, with the suckers, which are pivoted to the brackets 25, the said suckers swinging on an arc the center of which is the pivotal center of the links 24 to the bracket 25, the cam 32 serving to raise the parts and their weight by the action of gravity to return the same to an initial position.

In the position of the parts Fig. 1 the shaft 1, with the head 9, the piston-rods 11, and piston-heads 12, are about to move to the left hand, in which movement the piston-heads and pistonrods pass into the cylinders 7, forcing the air therein through the flexible tubes 18 20 and through the sucker devices. Upon the return movement of the shaft I and the parts connected therewith the cam 32 permits the suckers to press against the under side of the signatures or sheets 33, and as the reverse movement of the piston-rods and pistons takes place a partial vacuum is produced in the cylinders which causes a suction action of the sucker devices against the under surface of the signatures or sheets, tending to hold the suckers fast to said signatures or sheets. While the movement of the pistonrods and pistons is progressing toward the right of Fig. 1, the suction action remains in evidence, and during this time the cam 32 moves so as to raise the rod 31, levers 27, and, as hereinbefore described, to swing the sucker devices on the pivotal connection of the links 24 and bracket 25, so as to turn down the lowermost of the signatures or sheets, so that the same may be engaged by suitable gripper devices, which form the subject of a separate application, also a divisional application of the before-mentioned application Serial No. 24,017.

I claim as my invention 1. In a signature-gatherer, the combination with a series of sucker devices for piles of superimposed signatures or sheets, of a series of independent exhaust devices one for each sucker device, said exhaust devices arranged in a circular series, a central shaft forming a, common center to the exhaust devices, means for simultaneously operating said exhaust devices and shaft, and separate flexible connections from one end of each of the series of exhaust devices to a separate sucker device.

2. In a signature-gatherer, the combination with a series of sucker devices, of a series of cylinders agreeing in number with the sucker devices, said cylinders arranged in a. circular form about a common center, a support for said cylinders, flexible connections from one end of said cylinders, each to a separate sucker device, a shaft central to the series of cylinders supported in the bracket carrying said cylinders, and a second supporting-bracket therefor, a head and sleeve connected to said shaft, a series of piston-rods extending around the shaft and connected to the said head and spaced apart to agree with the centers of said cylinders, and a series of pistons on the free ends of said piston-rods.

3. In a signature-gatherer, the combination with a series of sucker devices, of a series of cylinders agreeing in number with the sucker devices, said cylinders arranged in a circular form about a common center, a support for said cylinders, flexible connections from one end of said cylinders, each to a separate sucker device, a shaft central to the series of cylinders supported in the bracket carryingsaid cylinders, and a second supportii'ig-l)rarket therefor, a head and sleeve connected to said shaft, a series of piston-rods extending around the shaft and connected to the said head and spaced apart to agree with the centers of said cylinders, a series of pistons on the free ends of said piston-rods, a cross-head connected to said shaft, a connecting-rod at one end pivoted to the cross-head, an eccentric disk to which the other end of said connecting-rod is pivotally fastened, and a shaft for revolving the eccentric disk by means of which a reciprocating movement is imparted to the shaft, to the series of piston-rods and pistons for offecting the exhaust.

Signed at Croton Falls, in the county of VVestchester and State of New York, this 22d day of August, A. D. 1901.

CHARLES A. J UENhS'l.

Vitnesses:

E. '1. THOMAS, L. HnNsnL. 

